


Comatose

by TwoLosersWriteAFanfiction



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Addiction, Coma, Comatose, Demon Blood, Destiel - Freeform, F/M, M/M, Pie, Tax accountant Cas, Thanksgiving, bisexual!dean, coffee shop AU, homeless cas, road trip au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-21
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-02-26 12:28:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2652083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoLosersWriteAFanfiction/pseuds/TwoLosersWriteAFanfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the tale of three men.  One homeless guy, a determined traveler, and Mr.Comatose over there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Pie Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving dinner at the Winchester home. Jess kicks ass at football, and Mary is set in her ways about how dinner should be made.

Waking up from a quick nap, Dean fumbled around the top of his desk. He was looking for the clock he’d somehow knocked over in his sleep. After standing up and finding it behind the desk, he glanced over at the time. 2:07. He sat back down and put his head on the desk, listening to the muffled voices of Ben and Lisa. He’d managed to sneak upstairs while they searched the basement and garage for chairs to put around the table. They had invited only their closest family to the Thanksgiving dinner, so Dean didn’t have to worry about being bombarded by guests. Their house wasn’t that big, but he hoped that there would be enough space for everyone.

Lisa and Ben’s conversation became inaudible as they left the house and went into the garage. Dean decided that then would be the best time to sneak back downstairs to get a glass of whiskey. Lisa would scoff at him for drinking before anyone arrived, but just one couldn’t hurt.  
When Dean got down the stairs and rounded the corner to the kitchen, he was surprised to see Lisa. She was sitting at the island on a bar stool.

“Where’s Ben?” Dean asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. He prayed that she wouldn’t call him out for his absence in “the Hunt for Chairs”.

“You’re not looking for Ben, you’re looking for this,” she said, pulling out the whiskey bottle from the cabinet behind her. She slid it across the island to him.

“I was not, but hell, if you’re offering,” he joked, catching the bottle and opening it.

“So how many chairs did you find in your office?” She asked offhandedly, walking toward the oven.

Dean grabbed a glass and poured himself a drink. “Well, there’s my desk chair… And that chair you insisted on buying at ikea last week.” Dean laughed, recalling the nightmare of putting that damned chair together.

“We can’t have our guests sit on a desk chair,” she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice, “and it was a rhetorical question.”

“Look, Lisa-” He set down the glass and started to explain himself but was soon cut off.

“I know how you are with these things,” she gestured to the dining room, “ and I just want to say that I know you can get through this, it’s just one dinner.” She took a few steps closer to him and put her hand on his arm.

“It’ll be fine.” She reassured, kissing his cheek.

~*~*~

At around 4 o’clock the first guests arrived. A sharp rap on the door announced them. Sam and Jess were standing on the doorstep, their arms linked loosely. Lisa opened the door with a genuine smile on her face.

“Jess, Sam, so glad you could make it!” She said while pulling them both in for a hug.

“We’re happy to be here,” Sam said, smiling.

“Come in.” She turned with an outreached arm gesturing to the front hallway.

As they walked through the hall, Jess and Lisa stopped to talk about the decorations that had been set up for the occasion. Sam continued on to the living room, poking his head through the doorway. Dean and Ben were sitting on the couch watching the Family Ties Thanksgiving special.

“Sammy!” Dean enthused, standing up to hug him.

“Hey, Dean.”

“You finally made it! Look,” he said pointing to the television, “they’re playing Thanksgiving reruns all day!”

“Yeah, we’re going to have to pry you away from the T.V.” Lisa laughed, entering the room.

“I’m sure once food’s on the table he’ll have no problem with getting up.” Sam reassured her.

“Yep, Sam said if there’s one thing Dean loves more than his car, it’s Thanksgiving pie!” Jess joked. “Which reminds me, hun, can you give me the keys, I forgot the pie in the backseat of the car.”

Sam handed her the keys and she turned to go outside.

“You guys brought a pie? You didn’t have to do that.” Lisa told Sam.

“Yeah, we already got one, right Lis?” Dean asked.

“Uh, no, actually. I forgot when I went grocery shopping and the stores were too busy to go back again another day.” She admitted.

Dean gasped in disbelief of what she’d just told him. How could she forget the pie? He thought to himself.

“Oh, well than, I guess it’s a good thing that you brought a pie.” Dean said to Sam with a small laugh. He tried not to seem upset over something so trivial.

Jess popped her head through the doorway. She held the pie up.

“Where do you want it?” She said to nobody in particular.

Dean lept to his feet and vaulted himself over the couch. His foot caught on the lamp and sent it clattering to the floor. He straightened himself, trying to play off the dull ache in his foot. Taking his hands off his hips, he reached out towards Jess. Lisa sighed while picking up the lamp and placing it on the end table.

"I can take that off your-" Dean paused, seeing Lisa's glare. "Kitchen table's fine. Thanks Jess." He added sullenly, his arms dropping. _Gotta get me that pie_ , Dean decided.

As Jess left, Sam roamed over to the flat screen hitting the buttons on the side until it turned off.

"I was watching that..." Ben muttered.

"Not anymore," Sam chuckled. "Now we're playing football!"

Ben sighed but stood to go and Lisa took his place on the couch. The mismatched pair made their way outside. After a beat of silence, Jess popped around the corner, into the living room.

"I just saw the boys heading outside. What did they do to get kicked out?"

Lisa laughed. "They're off to play football."

The young blonde hopped into a fighting stance.

"Let's go kick Sam's ass!" She shouted, always jumping at the chance to one-up her boyfriend.

Dean and Lisa shared a quick glance before standing up. Jess whooped and punched the air before dashing outside. The older couple followed more slowly. Passing through the kitchen, Dean saw his chance.

"Anybody want a drink?" Dean asked brightly.

"Beer?" Lisa asked Jess, who nodded. "Three beers, then."

Dean nodded and kissed Lisa on the cheek before heading over to the fridge. He poked around in the fridge for a bit, having found the beer immediately. Once he was certain the girls were outside, Dean made a beeline for the pie.

Pulling out a knife, Dean unwrapped the pie. He took a moment to glory in the beauty that was Jess' baking. He took a small piece, considered it and figured, what the hell, go big or go home. He doubled the slice because he was home already anyway.

He pulled out an old napkin from the same drawer as the knife and placed the pie on it. Taking a fork from the dish rack, he took the first bite. First led to second... Then third... Then next thing he knew the slice of apple pie was finished.

Still tasting cinnamon and apples, Dean rewrapped the pie and grabbed the beers.

As he turned, Lisa pulled open the screen door. Cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling, she was still as beautiful as she was the day Dean first met her. Eight years later and he couldn't believe somebody would put up with him for that long.

"Dean what's taking so- What? Do I have something on my face?" Dean realized he was staring.

"Uh, it's nothing." _You're beautiful._

"Oh, okay. Question; why has it taken you fifteen minutes to find three beers?"

"I..." Dean scrambled for an excuse. "I had to find the coldest beer." It was lame, even to him.

Lisa quirked her eyebrow but let the matter drop.

"Anyway, Jess is beating us all, we could use your help out there."

Dean chuckled, passed Lisa her drink and led the way outside.

~*~*~

Jess burst through the door, triumphant.

"I won, Dean. You owe me twenty bucks." She demanded, proud.

Dean sighed and pulled out the money.

"How the hell are you so good at football?"

"I did grow up in a small town with four older brothers, Dean."

Sam grimaced. "They're all as big as me. It was one terrifying Christmas, let me tell you."

"Oh you loved it!" Jess teased, poking his stomach.

Lisa came in last and began to usher everyone into the living room.

"Come on, get out, I can't cook in a crowded kitchen." Lisa laughed as she checked the potatoes.

"Need me to carve the turkey yet?" Dean asked.

"You can check on it, but I don't think it's done yet," she stated, "also, what time is your mom supposed to get here?"

"She told me around dinner time, but I think she was more specific when she told Sam."

Dean turned and walked into the living room.

"Hey Sammy, when did mom say she'd get here?"

"Around 5," Sam turned and looked at the wall clock, "she's running late, I'll call her cell." Sam decided.

He took the phone off the receiver beside him and began to call. Just as the dial tone started, there was a knock at the front door.

Dean, who was already standing, walked over and opened the door with a huge grin.

“Mommy!” He smiled, picking her up and spinning in a circle.

“Oh my god, Dean, put me down!” She said, amused.

Dean immediately complied.

“It’s good to see you, mom” Sam said as he walked up behind them.

Mary brushed past Dean to get to Sam. She hugged him tightly before moving on to Lisa, Jess, then Ben. As she hugged Ben she slipped a bill into his pocket.

“Don’t tell your mom.” She whispered.

Ben nodded gravely and Mary shuffled through the crowd into the kitchen.

She immediately began inspecting Lisa’s cooking.

“Does everything look okay?” Lisa inquired.

“Unfortunately not, dear,” Mary informed her, “ but that’s alright because I can salvage this meal!”

“You know I actually think that this is fine, it was a bit of a rhetorical question…” Lisa admitted.

“Oh no, I mean you’re making boxed stuffing to begin with, none of your side dishes have been prepared yet aside from the potatoes, and you haven’t even chopped your onions, carrots, and celery in advance!”

Lisa stared wide-eyed at the food preparation area, then up at Mary, who was too busy “salvaging the meal” to notice the baffled look on her face.

~*~*~*

At 6:30 the dinner was ready. Everyone sat around the oak dining table and began to pile food onto their plates. After quite some time of light conversations and close to the end of the meal, Sam decided to bring up a more lively topic. He stood up and began a speech.

“Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family,” he said looking around the table at all the smiling faces, “it’s a time to enjoy eachothers company and to give thanks for all of the great things in our lives.”

He looked down, shaking his head, smiling from ear to ear.

“I’m thankful for a lot of things, but most importantly I’m thankful that Jess is in my life,” he admitted looking over at her, “and I know this might sound greedy, but, could you give me one more thing to be thankful for?” He asked her, fishing a Cartier ring box out of his pocket. “Will you marry me?”

Jess put her hands up over her mouth in disbelief and let out a delighted gasp.

“Yes!” she exclaimed, jumping up so fast that when the chair was pushed backwards at an awkward angle. It tipped and fell back with a clatter that was ignored completely. She wrapped her arms around Sam’s neck, whispering again in his ear,  
"Yes."

The romantic moment was only slightly interrupted by the applause from their family. Dean stood up and wrapped his arms around the happy couple, eliciting laughter from everyone. Then Ben stood up and hugged them too, and Lisa and Mary quickly joined in. Sam and Dean eventually squeezed their way out of the hug and left Mary, Lisa and Jess to talk “Chick Stuff.”

“Damn,Sammy!” He crowed, sitting down to one last helping of turkey. “I was not expecting that tonight. How long’ve you been planning this?”

Sam sat beside him and shovelled a bit of mashed potato onto his plate. Dean covered his turkey in gravy while Sam scraped some butter onto his potatoes.

“Oh, I’ve uh, kind of been trying to propose for months,” Sam brushed his hair out of his face awkwardly. “Just never actually happened until now.”

Dean shovelled some turkey into his mouth and laughed. “Well, I’m glad you’re settling down. I’m gonna be the best man, right?”

“Of course.”

“Wonderful. I am so getting drunk and making the best damn speech,” Dean joked, finishing his turkey just as Lisa walked out of the kitchen, holding a pie. The man paled. They hadn’t uncovered the pie yet, but he was about to be revealed. Lisa set the pie down on the table.

“So, Dean. How’s Benny doing? You two keeping Bobby out of trouble at work?”

“Nobody could keep Ol’ Bobby Singer out of trouble. That is one mean mechanic. Benny’s doing good. His niece was just born,” Dean said, half-joking, but still mostly concerned about the pie. What’s Lisa gonna say? He still had a hard time figuring her out, even after all this time. It’s always gonna be like this, he figured.

The guilty man looked around, wondering if he could pass the blame onto somebody else in the room. He eyed Ben thoughtfully before changing his mind and deciding to take the blame himself. With a sigh, he resigned himself to his fate. He lowered his eyes as Lisa reached out, reaching to take the foil cover off of the pie. He took a deep breath, waiting for all eyes to fall to him.

Lisa lifted the cover an inch…  
And the doorbell rang.

“Hallelujah,” Dean whispered, standing to get the door. “I got it.”

Dean practically ran to get the door, tripping over himself in his haste. Righting himself and fixing his plaid shirt, he pulled open the door to see who would knock at six o’clock on thanksgiving night.

Standing in a ruffled, dirty trenchcoat and dress pants, holding what appeared to be a pecan pie, stood the man Dean hadn’t seen in years.

“Hello, Dean.”

“Cas?”


	2. Vending Machines

"Name?" the receptionist asked.

"Sam Winchester," he replied, "I'm here for-"

"Dean. I know." She stated. "Room 405, take the elevator and when you get to the 4th floor exit to the left, he'll be up there."

"Thank you." Sam said, turning and walking towards the elevator.

He pressed the upwards arrow and waited for the doors to open. As they did, he stepped onto the platform. He pressed the button with "4" on it and put his hands in his pocket, patiently waiting for the doors to close again. Just as they were about to close someone frantically thrust their hand in between, and Sam watched as the doors reopened and a girl walked in through them.

"That was close!" She laughed. She reached out and pressed "7".

Sam just smiled in response.

"4th floor, eh?" The girl inquired.

"Yeah. Canadian, eh?" Sam joked.

"Yep," She giggled looking up at Sam. "You're so tall, you should shrink a bit or something," she teased, standing on her tippy toes and holding onto his shoulder, wobbling under the pressure that was on her toes.

"Anyways, I was just asking about the 4th floor because it's not visited that often," she drifted off.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, well, it's the coma ward."

~*~*~*

Sam rushed out of the elevator and searched for room 405. Most of the rooms were empty, but the ones that were occupied gave off an eerie feeling. He wandered down the hallway for what seemed like quite a while. Finally, he walked past room 405, which had the door partially open. He slowly pushed it, leaning in as he did. Sam stared gloomily at his comatose brother. He hadn’t known why Dean was in the hospital, he’d only known what Crowley had told him on the phone.

“Your brother has been ruining everything. He’s lucky I haven’t killed him yet. Riverview Hospital, Seattle. He’s your responsibility now.”

Now here he was, sitting with his older brother and unsure of what to do.

A nurse walked in, a bit startled by Sam’s presence. She nodded in acknowledgement and proceeded to check on the equipment around Dean.

When she seemed done Sam asked, “Can I speak with the doctor, please?”

“He’ll be right in.” She replied with a smile.

“Thanks.”

~*~*~*

After 40 long minutes of waiting, the doctor popped his head through the door.

“Hello, you must be Dean’s brother. I’m doctor Murray, head doctor in the coma ward.”

“Sam,” he said, shaking the doctors hand. “I feel a bit left out of the loop here, would you mind telling me what happened? Why is my brother in a coma?”

“Well, we weren’t given much information by the person who checked him in.⏤ Crowley, I think his name was⏤, and honestly most of the diagnoses that we came up with couldn’t be proven without a medical history record, which was unable to be found…” he sighed. “Basically, we have one theory of how he entered his coma, but I need you to confirm something for me.”

“Yeah sure, I’ll do anything I can to help.”

“Is your brother a heavy drinker?”

Sam could only laugh.

~*~*~*

Sam leaned on the vending machine in the hallway of the 7th floor, sipping his cold (but complimentary) coffee. It was, annoyingly the only place to eat and drink that wasn’t the cafeteria. He began to think about the things the doctor told him and let his mind wander. He didn’t realize that someone was trying to talk to him until he saw a hand wave in front of his face.

“Hey! Are you alright?” Said the same woman from the elevator.

“Oh yeah, I’m just a little distracted.” Sam reassured her.

“Is there something you wanna talk about?” She asked, tilting her head slightly.

“No... I mean yeah, but… It’s hard to explain all my problems to someone who just doesn’t know my experiences.” Sam admitted, shaking his head.

“Tell me about them, then. Give me ALL the juicy details on how and why you’re such a tall and distressed man.” She smiled sincerely.

Sam laughed. “Alright, if you really wanna know, I’ll tell you.”

“Good!” She checked her watch. “I actually have a thing to get to now, but come back here later tonight and we’ll talk then. You’ll still be here right?”

“Yeah, I’m staying here until my brother wakes up,” Sam said, deciding to tell her everything. Demons and angels included.

“Shh! Save all the details for our talk tonight!” She joked, turning towards the door and walking out.

Nice girl, Sam thought to himself. Too bad she’s going to think I’m absolutely insane by the end of the night.

~*~*~*

Sam spent the rest of the day doing nothing but sitting in a hospital room and occasionally taking walks. And that uncomfortable phone call with Cas. That had been bad. He decided to go up to the vending machines to wait for the girl, which he then realized didn’t have a name as of yet.

He walked through the doors of the elevator and stepped towards the machines.  
Looking through the glass, he contemplated buying something. It would be impolite to get something for me and not her. He told himself.

Just as he turned back around, the girl ambled out of a room down the hall. She spotted Sam and walked over with a skip in her step.

“Heeeeey, you actually came!” She said enthusiastically.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Sam laughed. “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Brandy.”

“I’m Sam.”

“Well, alright then, Sammy, let’s sit!” She gestured towards a small table. Sam didn’t remember seeing the table there earlier.

He sat and said, “maybe I’m losing my mind, but was this table here before?”

“Oh, yeah, I moved it.” She said casually.

“You… moved it? Are you allowed to do that?”

“Yeah, I mean nobody said anything when I dragged it over here. It’ll be fine.” She reassured. “So, are you going to tell me your whole life story now?” She grinned.

With a slight exhale, Sam began to retell his life to a complete stranger. "Lawrence, Kansas, nearly 30 years ago..."

~*~*~*

“I know I probably seem crazy…” Sam said in reaction to Brandy’s silence.

“I’m just trying to take it all in,” she said looking down in concentration, “you can’t just put all that on a girl and expect a response immediately, right?”

“Yeah, right, sorry. I don’t usually tell people this. I’m not sure what happens now or whatever.” Sam said in a loss for words. He already regretted telling her these things. Who was she anyways? A total outsider, that’s who.

“Well, I guess now I could tell you about me?”

Sam’s phone interrupted his response to her suggestion. He checked the call display.

“Garth?” He said, answering the ringing device.

“Hey Sam! You’re at the hospital with Dean, yeah?” Garth said in his usual energetic voice.

“Yeah I am, how’d you know? The doctors said they couldn’t get a hold of anyone.”

“The hospital didn’t call me, one of Crowley’s demons did. I didn’t trust them at first, but a lot of the stuff they were saying made sense, and I thought I’d check with you first. Dean’s in a coma, right?”

“Yeah,” Sam said, excusing himself from the table and walking down the hall a bit for more privacy. He noticed Brandy staring after him curiously.

“And I’m sure the doctors gave you some spiel about heavy drinking and whatnot? How that leads to seizures which leads to coma and blah blah blah?”

“Yeah that’s basically it.”

“Well, that’s not the reason why he’s in a coma.” Garth said, pausing to give Sam time to react.

“What do you mean? What did the demon say?”

“The demon talked about Dean being the “Prince of Hell” alongside Crowley, the mark of cain turned Dean into a demon when he died- thanks for telling me about that by the way! Anyways, when Dean was a demon, he caused a TON of trouble. I guess it pushed Crowley over the edge and now here we are. Crowley put Dean in a coma, not alcohol abuse.”

“So how do we wake him?” Sam asked urgently.

“I’ve been reading and it says that the action can only be undone by a demon. I highly doubt Crowley wants to wake the “Royal pain in his butt”.”

Sam sighed. “Have you read anything other ideas, or at least a hint of something we could try?”

“Well, there was this one thing, but the book was old, the translation wasn't very clear and the cure would take a lot of running around to get supplies…”

“I’ll do it, just tell me everything.” Sam insisted.

“Sam, you do know that when Dean wakes up, he’s not Dean, he’s a demon still.” Garth said, sympathetic.

“I know, but I have to get my brother back. This is just step one.”


	3. Seattle

"I don't care where you go, but you can't sleep here."

A rough prod forced Castiel to open his eyes. He stared blearily up at the police officer who had woken him. A quick glance around told Castiel he was on a park bench and that it was still fairly early in the morning.

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving," he said as he unbunched his ratty trenchcoat and pulled it over his shoulders.

The officer nodded, but stood and watched until Castiel had stood and begun to make his way down one of the paths in the park. Castiel hadn't the faintest idea where he was going, only that he was cold and hungry- hunger was a new feeling. When had that started? The angel shrugged it off and decided he should find something edible and find a way to call Sam. The last time he'd spoken to the man, things had been on a downward spiral.

Castiel made his way through the park, walking slowly by his own standard. He saw many things, but they all seemed duller. Nothing was as vibrant and beautiful as it had been only weeks ago, and he just couldn't figure out why.

Can angels get sick? He asked himself, not for the first time.

The man paused to let a pair of children run by before leaving the park. As he turned onto a busy street, he heard a screech. Castiel whipped his head around and saw a car slam to a halt behind him. He quickly hopped back onto the sidewalk.

Shoving his hands into his pockets and hunching his shoulders, Castiel weaved through people. Something green caught his eye and he stopped.

"What..." Castiel crouched down, and saw that it was a bill. Money. Castiel knew about money. He snatched it up and stuffed it into the bottom of his pocket where he wouldn't lose it. He could use that for food, or to call Sam.

Food or Sam? I am hungry, but Sam can help me. Castiel decided to find a phone. His rumbling stomach could wait a bit longer. Sam would come find him and he would get Castiel something to eat and then they would go back to Dean. The man was in a hospital, in a coma. He didn't know how he would fix his Winchester, but he would. Somehow.

The angel wandered through town, seeking a payphone. After an hour of not finding anything and wandering past the same stores again and again, he stopped and went into the friendliest-looking store in sight. It happened to be an old antique shop.

The door opened with a happy jingle, and a woman's head popped up behind the counter.

"Hi there! Anything I can help you with today?" The young lady said in a cheery voice. She was covered in dust.

Why are you so cheerful?

"Can I use your phone?" Castiel asked, tilting his head in slight confusion over the happy woman.

She looked him over and saw just how dirty and scruffy the man was.

"You look like you could do with more than just a phone call, but sure," she said, pulling out a cell. She held it out for Castiel to take, and he did gratefully.

Castiel turned and walked down an aisle to call Sam in relative quiet. As he pressed the buttons, he remembered the last time he'd spoken to the Winchesters.

~*~*~*

“Not now, Cas.” Sam growled. Castiel didn’t know what was wrong with Sam, but he knew he had to warn him about Dean. Dean’s still-very-human body was failing his demonic needs, and it was becoming hard for him to function in it. What with the copious amounts of alcohol he was consuming, and the wear and tear of transporting around all the time, his body just couldn’t keep up. The angel’s vessel was designed to house a soul that was not human. Dean’s was meant for an angel, not a Knight of Hell.

Dean’s body was failing, Sam smelled dangerously like a demon himself- and Castiel? Well, he was doing what he did best; listening to the Winchesters. He did as Dean said, even though he was a soulless demon now. Castiel firmly believed he could bring the righteous man back. He could. He had to.

“Sam, it’s very important that I see Dean. Now,” Castiel had decided: today was the day he brought back his Winchester boys or died trying.

“Damn it, Cas! You can’t just have everything you want!” Sam exploded. “Dean is busy right now! Maybe tomorrow.”

But Castiel would not back down so easily. With a simple flutter of wings, Castiel was in Dean’s room. The place was a mess, he noticed.

And Dean wasn’t alone. Two women, along with Dean, lay in his large bed. The memory foam bed. The one that remembers things. Castiel wondered if it would remember this. Dean’s head popped up as he heard Castiel enter.

“Cas! Get out, man! I’m a bit… busy right now,” Castiel saw Dean hesitate again, just for a second before winking and adding, “Unless, of course, you want to join me.”

Castiel flushed red, and decided he’d come back in an hour, whether Dean was finished or not. He disappeared the same way he entered, with a flutter of wings. As he left, he saw the soul of Sam enter the room, his bright light twisted through with dark.

What is wrong with Sam? Castiel didn’t have an answer, but he did have a hiding place from the younger man’s wrath. He hid in his favourite place: the impala. Nobody ever looked for him there, and Dean rarely used his beloved car anymore. Castiel liked the way it smelled like leather and musk, just like Dean used to. Before, before everything changed and he went to smelling like sex and alcohol. And like sulphur. He hated the way Dean smelled now, but the man- demon- never listened to him anymore. His own input was no longer valued by either of the boys. Dean had a campaign to run and Sam was all too happy to follow his brother’s lead. Of course, Sam had resisted at first, but a few shots of that horrible liquid were enough to change his mind.

Castiel lay down in the back of the impala, just like always. It was out of habit, mostly. He looked around at the small things that made the impala home to the boys for so many years. The toy soldier in the ashtray, their carved initials, a few dings and scratches that were new. Castiel felt comforted here. Even when everything was crazy and the only people he could consider family hated him, he was home here.

The hour passed slowly. Time was passed by counting things. Counting cars in the garage, counting the lines on his palm, counting everything he saw. Once he’d decided an hour was up, he sat up and flew down to the kitchen. It was better if he was on the other end of the bunker if he was going to keep his secret place a secret.

Having reached the kitchen in an instant, Castiel began the walk to Dean's room. He gave himself a mental pep talk while he walked. He would need it.

~*~*~*

"Hello?" A hard voice answered the phone.

"Sam," Castiel confirmed.

"Cas?"

"Yes. I am in need of some help."

"Where are you? Get your angel butt here!"  Sam's voice became agitated.

"That's the problem. I don't know where I am, and there's something wrong with my grace, and I think I might be… Hungry." Castiel only truly realized the extent of his trouble as he voiced it to Sam.

His response was not as he expected, though he probably should have. He may have wiped the impure substance from the man's body, but he couldn't cure an addiction.

"I... Cas, I can't come."

Castiel's confusion grew. Of course Sam could come. Why would Sam be unable to come?

“Sam?”

“I’m in Seattle… Dean’s in the hospital. I can’t leave now. I’m sorry.” A click sounded the end of the call, and Castiel slowly lowered the phone from his ear.

In a daze, he glanced over at where the dusty woman was looking anxiously. He walked over and held out the phone to her.

“Thank you,” He said solemnly.

The young woman blushed as she took her phone back and shoved it into her pocket. “It’s no problem. So is your friend coming to get you?”

Castiel looked down. “No, he has other things to worry about right now.”

“I’m Sophie,” the woman gave him a pitying look before she smiled and held her hand out to shake. Castiel knew this custom. Dean had taught him. He took her hand and clenched his fist. Hard.

She winced and he immediately relaxed his grip. He had done well. When her eyes flicked up to meet his, he flashed her a grin.

“Castiel," he informed the woman, proud of himself for a job well done.

“That’s an unusual name. Is it religious?”

“My father was a very religious man,” Castiel responded, a small smile still on his face. What would Father think of me now?

Sophie smiled. “Are you from out of town?”

 

Castiel shook his head gently. Slightly confused, he decided to remain quiet.

“Where are you staying while you’re here?”

“I’m not staying anywhere.”

“A drifter, then?” Castiel had absolutely no idea what a drifter was, but he decided to go with it.

“I suppose you could say that.”

“Well, Mr.Castiel, what do you say to dinner?”

What should I say to something I’m about to eat? I’m sorry?

“I… Don’t really talk to my food…” Castiel’s eyebrows and lips tugged down into a frown.

“I’m inviting you to eat dinner with me,” Sophie said, surprised.

“Oh. I don’t have money to pay you, though.”

“It’ll be my treat. You look like you could use a square meal.”

Castiel nodded, and agreed to meet her outside the store when the big bell tower chimed six. Shaking her hand, he left the store and wandered to a quiet park. It was eerily empty, but Castiel sat down on a bench anyway and closed his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he could just sit down and relax.

**  
  
**

~*~*~*

The meal was in no way square. as a matter of fact, it was more circular. And noodly. And quite possibly the best thing Castiel had ever tasted.

Sophie was nice too. She was very smart, and pretty too. Long brown hair that had been up before was down, and she wore a nice summer dress. It was amazing, being able to talk to somebody. Especially somebody with a degree in philosophy. How she ended up an antiques dealer, he didn’t know.  

The pair had met in front of the store- Castiel a bit late, having gotten lost several times on the way- and walked together to a small restaurant downtown.

Sophie liked to talk. She laughed a lot too, and most of the time Castiel didn’t understand the joke. Sometimes he did, though, and he made an effort to laugh and smile a bit.

“Castiel?” The man snapped back to reality.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked if you’re always such a space cadet,” Sophie laughed, looking at him.

“I’m not…” Castiel’s brow lowered as he tried to puzzle it out. He would never understand these strange euphemisms. Sophie laughed again.

“I am making you uncomfortable,” Castiel guessed, not really caring too much now that his belly was almost full.  
  


“No, it’s alright. You must have been raised under a rock, though.” The man laughed this time, not really getting it, but understanding that he was meant to laugh.

He jabbed a fork into his caesar salad and couldn’t help but think of Sam and his strange obsession with the leafy food. He thought he would probably prefer Dean’s diet of red meat and alcohol. Nonetheless, Castiel ate heartily, shoving bite after bite in his mouth.

“Hungry?” Sophie asked, watching him inhale the salad.

Castiel looked at her and went to answer, but realizing the bad habit he’d picked up somewhere- by no means from a certain blonde- he finished his bite before answering.

“This is the first meal I’ve had in… Forever.”

The young woman took this as a joke and laughed again. This woman laughs too much, Castiel thought distastefully. He decided to be kind to her still, as she was paying for his meal and hopefully he would be able to give him directions to wherever Sam and Dean were. As a matter of fact, she could probably tell him what this town was called.

He cut off whatever not-funny joke the lady was about to say by blatantly asking. She looked mildly surprised, but answered quickly.

“Uh, Sanford. Sanford, Maine,” she said, and Castiel’s heart dropped. “What, not where you thought you were?”

“No, I’m on the wrong side of the country,” Castiel replied gloomily.

“Just how drunk were you when you rolled into Maine?”

“I… was incapacitated,” The man murmured, lowering his eyes.

“Where do you need to be?”

“Seattle.”

“Why?”

Castiel looked at her. “I need to see somebody.” He quietly rose and thanked the woman for the meal before rushing out the door. He could feel Sophie’s eyes on him the entire way out.

Breathing in the cold air and looking around, Castiel couldn’t stop a wave of despair. How am I going to get to Seattle.

**  
  
  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Kudos and feedback are always welcome  
> *winkwink* *nudgenudge*


	4. A Reconnection

“Cas, buddy, this is… Unexpected!” Dean said, standing in the doorway.

“I know. I brought a pie.” Castiel said, stretching his arm to give the dessert to Dean.

“Right. How about you come in and join us?” Dean suggested, still taken aback. He stepped back and motioned down the hall.

“Okay.” Cas agreed and awkwardly pulled his arm and the pie back towards him.

Dean lead Cas down the hallway and in through the kitchen to the dining room. When they walked in all eyes were on them. Sam looked up and recognized the face of the man with his brother.

“Cas!” Sam exclaimed, standing up to hug him. 

“Sam, it’s good to see you again. It’s been a while.” Cas said, holding the pie to the side while hugging him.

“13 years! You can sit over here beside Ben.” Dean pulled out the chair for Cas to sit. He took the pie from him and put it on the table beside the other one.

Cas sat down in the wooden dining chair beside Ben. Sam and Dean sat back down as well. The awkward silence seemed to last for an eternity before Ben decided to speak up.

“Who are you?”

Cas went to speak but was interrupted by Lisa.

"Ben, don't be rude." 

"No it's alright. I'm Castiel, an old friend of your father." 

Everyone at the table looked over at each other, wondering who was going to correct the man.

"Dean's not my dad." Ben informed him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cas apologized, looking at Dean, Lisa, and Ben.

"Don't worry about it, happens all the time." Dean said.

"How did you guys meet?" Jess asked brightly, changing the subject.

"Dean fixed my car."

"Way to give the details, Cas. You wanna know the story? I'm the guy to tell it. I was first introduced to his car. *insert name of car*. COMPLETELY totaled. One of the worst I'd seen at the time. I remember thinking, "wow, I feel bad for the poor sucker who will have to wait for us to finish this project".” 

Deans voice trailed off. He decided to wrap up the story before he got too lost in nostalgia. 

“There was a motel beside the garage, he stayed there and we spent some time together." 

"That car was demolished, you got it fixed in time for me to go back to campus for my finals, though." Cas said with a smile and shake of his head.

"What did you study?" Ben asked.

"Business and finance." 

"What are you up to now? Still on that path?" Lisa asked.

"I'm a tax accountant. That's why I'm here, actually. I was moved to an office in town. I saw your ad, Dean."

"Oh, no. You saw that?" He said leaning back and running his hands through his hair in embarrassment. 

"It's a nice picture, Dean." Mary complimented. 

"I look like a dude from an infomercial." Dean said, the picture of him holding a wrench with his arms crossed burned into his mind. 

"Actually, I think you looked more like Mr. Clean." Cas joked.

"You look fine." Lisa laughed. "Vaguely Mr. Clean like," Dean rolled his eyes. "But that's alright." Lisa reassured him.

"I want all the papers with that ad burned. Burn the newspaper print office down, too, just to be safe." Dean said, covering his face.

Lisa reached over and rubbed his shoulder.

"Anyways, I saw your ad and called the number. Bobby was there and told me you were having dinner and I should stop by. He seemed joyful."

"So, where are you staying?" Lisa asked, hoping that he wasn't going to be staying with them.

"I'm renting an apartment downtown. It's above the little coffee shop."

"Sounds cozy" Jess smiled.

“Very.” Cas smiled back.

Lisa looked around the table and noticed the still covered apple pie.

“I guess we can have pie now,” Lisa announced, “unless you have any other old friends who are going to show up?” She joked.

Lisa uncovered the pie and immediately gave Dean a look of accusation.

“Oh my!” Mary said, covering her smile with her hand.

“Dean, honey, do you happen to know why there is a slice of pie missing?” Lisa questioned.

"I have no clue." Dean said, but Sam was laughing too hard for anyone to hear.

“I guess it’s a good thing Castiel brought pie.” Ben said, and everybody laughed. Dean helped himself to a slice and took a bite. 

“Damn, this is good!” He said loudly, eyes wide. “Where the hell did you buy this?”

Cas blushed slightly and looked down, mumbling, “I, uh. I made it.”

“Quit joking around, Cas. I know you can’t cook.”

“It’s been a long time, Dean. People can learn new tricks.”

Lisa cut in then, setting a slice of apple pie in front of Cas. Everybody quickly became quite busy with their desserts, and the matter was forgotten.

~*~*~*

Sam, Jess, and Lisa stood in the doorway of the kitchen, saying their goodbyes. Mary had left already, announcing that she had lots of cleaning to do. Dean, having said his goodbyes already, was seated in the living room with Cas. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was playing in the background, completely enrapturing Cas, but Dean wasn’t looking at the cartoon.. Dean sat, staring at this man who had been so much of his life for so long. This man who had left so abruptly. Who was gone for years, and has suddenly shown up on his door with his favourite kind of pie.


	5. Setting Out

Sam sat at a small wooden desk in the Library. He had various maps covering the top, and old leather bound books scattered around and open. He flipped through pages, pinpointing the locations he would have to travel to in order to collect all the materials for the “un-demonization”. 

Finding very little information so far, he ran his fingers through his hair and laid his head down on the desk. A notification noise from his phone caused him to raise his head. He shuffled through all the maps and books then finally found the device. He expected it to be a message from Garth, but was pleasantly surprised at who it actually was.

206-492-8593: Hey! It’s Brandy. I see that you ditched out on the whole hospital scene? Kinda sad, actually. It’s going to get a bit boring without you here. 

Sam: Yeah, sorry for not saying goodbye. I had some urgent stuff to start working on.

Brandy: “urgent stuff”... Is it hunter stuff? Is it a case? What kind of monster is it? Where? 

Sam: It’s not anything like that. I mean, yeah it is, but it’s not a case. It’s my brother. I need to find a cure for him.

Brandy: Like medical things? Isn’t that the doctors job?

Sam: Well, his problem isn’t exactly medical. He’s a demon… In a coma that was induced by another demon, a strong one who’s not going to reverse the coma. It’s up to me to save him, basically.

Brandy: How are you supposed to single-handedly save him?

Sam: I have this friend who gave me the method and ingredients list for the cure. It seems like I just need to travel across the country to find everything.

Brandy: Interesting… Road trip… Sounds like something you’d not want to be alone on…

Sam: Brandy, no.

Brandy: Oh, come on! Wouldn’t it be better to go with someone? Maybe I can even help out with something!

Sam: Don’t you have someone at the hospital that you’re visiting? Or a job? 

Brandy: I’m currently unemployed, so no commitments there. I’m guessing that all these questions mean that you’re thinking about it? 

Sam thought hard about having Brandy tag along. He weighed the pros and cons. If she joins this lifestyle, there’s probably no getting out, he thought to himself. He tried to shake the vision of Brandy’s untimely death out of his mind. It was replaced with a pro; Brandy in the passenger side of the car, music on and sun shining through the windows. He looked down at his phone and smiled.

Sam: I’ll pick you up at the hospital in half an hour.

~*~*~*

Brandy threw her duffel bag into the back seat of the car and then hopped into the front. She had a mile-wide grin on her face.

Sam laughed and started driving.

“So where to first?” She asked, shuffling through printed off mapquest pages.

“Minnesota.” 

Brandy’s smile faded and she looked out the window. “I went there when I was a kid. I don’t remember much though, just that I was angry at my parents.”

“Why was that?” Sam asked.

“They day before we left home they announced at the dinner table that they were going to be divorcing. They also told me that the only reason we were going on the trip was to drop my dad off and say goodbye. I didn’t know at the time but he was giving up total custody of me. He gave the whole “this isn’t how I planned my life to be” speech, like, hello! Mid-life crisis alert! Anyway, we spent a good part of the day there before I decided to run away. I took off down the street, taking turns in any which way that I thought would bring me the furthest from my recently broken family. Somehow I ended up at this Twine Ball museum. I just stood in front of this giant ball for hours, crying occasionally. The town was small, so my mother was able to find me easily. She didn’t seem worried though. She didn’t act like those mothers on tv shows and movies, you know? When they are hysterical and crying and they hug their child with relief. She just gave me a forgiving look, like she knew I was in the right for running away. We didn’t say goodbye to my dad, we drove off right after she found me at the Twine Ball.”

Sam gave Brandy a sympathetic look, not knowing what else to say. He’d always been terrible at keeping up deep conversations.

Brandy shook her head fast, as if to shake away the feelings. “So, have you?” 

“Have I what?” Sam asked.  
“Been to Minnesota?”

“A few times, not anytime recently.” Sam answered quickly.

“I see that you don’t want to talk about it…” She observed.

“It was hunter stuff. I don’t want you to get involved in that.” 

“Well it’s a bit late for that don’t you think? You told me all about it; and now here I am, looking for a demon cure with you.” She laughed.

“I know that I told you, I just didn’t expect you to believe me. You did, though, so now I have to keep you away from this life.”

“Keep me away from “this life” by bringing me on a cross-country demon road trip with you?” 

Sam began to think that his logic might have been a bit clouded by his slight interest in the Canadian girl.

“You didn’t think this through did you?” Brandy asked, able to read the realization off of his face.

He laughed a bit and shook his head. “I could’ve planned it better.” He admitted.

“That’s alright. About 90% of my endeavors go unplanned and most of them work out fine!” She smiled. “We just have to find a way to keep me out while I’m on a trip that is pulling me in.”

“Piece of cake.” Sam joked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Duck Feeding & A Dilemma

Dean stood awkwardly outside of a Café downtown. Cas had told him he’d meet him there at 1 o’clock, but Dean anxiously showed up 10 minutes early. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and watched people walk by on the busy sidewalk. 

A bus drove by and the big windows gave Dean a clear reflection of himself. Am I underdressed? He asked himself, staring down at his navy blue cargo jacket and gray plaid button-down. No, of course not, it’s not like this is a date or anything, it’s just two old friends “catching up”. He said, quoting what Cas had said when he asked to meet him here.

Just as Dean was stressing out about his particular choice of clothing, Cas snuck up behind him.

“Hello, Dean.”

Dean jumped and spun around on his heels. “Jesus, Cas.”

Cas just grinned and opened his arms for a hug. After the quick embrace, Dean subtly looked at his friend’s outfit. He couldn’t help but snicker at the totally predictable clothing choice. Trench coat, white dress shirt, blue tie (backwards, as always). Dean had always thought that Cas had a way of making his formal outfit look casual. 

“What are you laughing at?” Cas asked, tilting his head and squinting (yet another thing Dean loved about him).

“You haven’t changed a bit.” Dean said, shaking his head and looking into Cas’ eyes.

“You’re not so different yourself!” Cas said, poking at Dean’s jacket.

“It’s vintage!” Dean defended. They both laughed, and for a moment, Dean forgot that it had been years since they hung out like this. Just as Dean was about to say that to Cas, an angry businessman bumped into them while talking loudly on a bluetooth.

“Wanna get out of the way, pals?” The man asked aggressively as he walked away.

“Wanna say that to my face?” Dean said intimidatingly, standing up straighter as he began to walk towards the man. 

“Dean, let’s just go inside now.” Cas suggested, putting his hand on his shoulder, holding him back. Dean looked back at Cas and saw the hint of worry in his eyes. Cas had always hated confrontation. 

“Yeah, alright,” He said walking towards the door of the café, “that douchebag’s not worth my energy anyway.”  
Cas held the door open and they both walked into the dimly lit coffee shop. The floors were a dark (and heavily scratched, Dean’s carpenter mind thought) hardwood, and the walls were brick and covered in abstract art. If it wasn’t the design that gave off the warm, cozy vibe it was definitely the strong scent of freshly roasted coffee beans. 

Dean followed Cas to a table for two in the corner. Cas pulled out Dean’s chair then started to walk towards the counter to order. 

“Where you going?” Dean asked, about to get up to follow him.

“Just stay put, I’ll get our stuff.”

Dean decided to listen to him. He silently wondered if Cas had remembered as much about him as he did about Cas. Dean figured this could be a little test to see. 

A few minutes later Cas came back to the table with coffee and food. 

“Black coffee, two sugars, and a slice of pecan pie.” Cas said, sliding the mug and plate over to Dean. 

“Thanks.” Dean said, trying to hide the happiness he felt. After all this time he still remembered his order.

“I hope the pie’s alright, I haven’t had the opportunity to try it.” Cas said, sitting with his mug of hot chocolate and donut.

"Here have a bite." Dean said, stabbing a piece with a fork and holding it over the table in the direction of Cas' mouth. 

Cas hesitated, which made Dean remember that him and Cas were just friends now. He turned his wrist and gave the fork to Cas. 

"Thanks," he said, "wow this is really good." Cas awkwardly gave the fork back. 

Dean dodged the awkwardness with a topic change. "So, what made you pick this place for us to meet up?" 

"Good food... Cheap... I live upstairs-"

"You live above here?" 

"Yeah, it's quite small, but cozy." 

"It can't be much smaller than the apartment you had in university!" Dean joked.

"You're right, I can fit a bed AND a couch in this one." Cas laughed.

"Lots of good memories in that apartment, though." Dean said, a flood of images flowing through his mind. 

"Like that one time you burned our spaghetti? How did you manage to do that?" Cas laughed.

"Oh god, all I wanted was to make you a nice dinner after your finals." Dean said, putting his head in his hands and groaning.

"That's when we both agreed on me cooking dinners from then on." Cas recalled, chuckling. 

Dean nodded, “Yep, that was a good arrangement, you cooking and me fixing that shabby place.” 

“We had a good thing going, Dean,” Cas said. Then, the mood of the conversation changed almost instantaneously. “What happened? I mean why did you—” He was cut off before he could finish the question.

“Cas, I don’t know what to say.” Dean said, feeling deep remorse.

“Don’t say anything, than” Cas said abruptly, “we should probably head out soon anyways, my landlord will be coming on shift soon and I haven’t paid rent yet.” 

"Oh, alright." Dean replied. He couldn't help but feel disappointed in how short of time they spent together.

"You know, there's a pretty big park a few blocks away. We could spend the rest of the day there." Cas suggested.

"Yeah, sure. That would be nice." Dean said, trying to hide his excitement. The grin on his face have him away.

"Alright. Bring me the donut," Cas said, while standing up and walking towards the counter.

Dean walked over to Cas with the plate in his hand.

"Can we get a to-go bag, please?" Cas asked the barista.

"What do we need a bag for?" 

~*~*~*

The quacking of the ducks got louder as more of them grouped in the pond. Dean and Cas sat on a bench on the edge of the water.

Cas began to break off small pieces of his donut and throw them to the ducks. Dean couldn’t help but stare at him. He looked adorable, and Dean didn’t even think twice about it. He gazed at Cas for a while, focusing on different features; the blue of his eyes, the line of his jaw, the curve of his lips. Cas finally looked over at Dean, who quickly looked away as their eyes met. 

“Here you try.” Cas said, handing the bag over to Dean.

“No, that’s alright, I’m just gonna sit here-” Dean tried to protest but Cas shoved the bag into his hands.

“C’mon just try.” Cas encouraged.

Dean began ripping off hunks of donut and chucking them rather violently into the pond. Some of the ducks were startled. Cas intervened before it could get any worse.

“Allllright! Here, let me help.” He grabbed Dean’s hand and the two of them broke off pieces and threw them. Dean glanced over at Castiel, and he began to think that he could stay in that moment forever.

~*~*~*

“So, how was Cas?” Lisa asked from the bathroom, where she was getting ready for bed.

“Alright, he’s still getting caught up with the move and such.” Dean replied, laying on the bed watching whatever movie was on AMC.

“What did you guys do? Did you check out that new antique shop downtown?” 

“No, we just had coffee and took a walk.” Dean said.

“Kinda boring,” Lisa said while climbing into bed, “but I guess you had a lot to catch up on.”

“Yeah,”

“I have to get up really early tomorrow for an appointment, you don’t mind turning off the T.V. do you?” 

“Yeah, no problem.” He said turning off the T.V. and the lamp.

Lisa cuddled up beside Dean, placing her head on his chest. She fell asleep soon after, her breathing becoming steady and deep.

Dean stared up at the ceiling. His stomach began to spin and twist as his mind went crazy. The apologetic feeling that flooded through him was almost crippling. It made him hate every aspect of himself. Dean let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes. Lisa shifted slightly, and Dean couldn’t help but wish that it was Cas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for how long this chapter took for us to post. We took some time off for holidays then never got around to writing this. We'll definitely be posting more frequently now, that's a promise! Anyways, hopefully you enjoyed reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> It gets more interesting, promise.


End file.
